Mulan
by spongebox1
Summary: A few years ago, things were different. China was under attack and it needed to be protected. What happens when one girl tips the scale?
1. Chapter 1

I never thought that my life would end this way. Not that I thought of my life ending a lot. No more than a regular person. I always had hoped though that when I died I would at least have someone I loved or someone who loved me by my side. I guess that won't be happening. Perhaps I'm getting too far ahead of myself. My name is Fa Mulan. And this is my story.

The beginning:

A few years ago, things were different. People were different. They were happier. As you walked down the streets you could see it on the faces of the people walking by. A couple standing by a fruit stand arguing about how much they should buy. A child clutching a stuffed doll, lines of laughter etched into her face. Little boys running through the street yelling mock war cries, trying their best to get ahead of the other.

My family always knew deep down that I was different than them, different looks, different personalities. My father used to joke that I was delivered by a stork. I never knew what he truly meant until I grew older. My frizzy hair, to the horror of my mother, continued to get frizzy and frizzier the longer my hair got. She and my grandmother tried everything until they finally cut my hair off. I feel the need to clarify something. Mushu is not in fact a dragon, though he was born in the year of the dragon. Instead, Mushu was and is to this day my best friend and neighbor. He has taught me a lot and I am forever thankful. When Mushu and I would go into the market-place, we often got mistaken for brothers. We both had the same features; only mine were more feminine.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Disney related.

When I was little, Mushu, who was a year older than I, thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to climb a tree. We kept it a secret for we knew our families would disapprove. He taught me a lot of things that our families would have disapproved of, but I will get to that later. 

After I learned how to climb a tree, Mushu and I would meet in the orchid tree that was in between the fence that separated us. I will admit that I did get a thrill climbing up the orchid tree. Why, you may ask. The answer is simple, I felt like I belonged. There was nobody to scold me, or tell me I will bring dishonor to my ancestors. It was like a whole new world had opened up that separated me from the rest of the world. I got to choose when I wanted to go back to reality, unless I fell, which only happened two times. The first time was when the soldiers arrived. 

I remember the day the soldiers came. Our village was silent, no children outside laughing or playing. Nobody was in the market. It was a ghost town. Everyone was lined up in the square, waiting their turn to receive the notices. I wanted to go with my father but he shoved me aside. Instead, I watched from the middle of the orchid tree, ignoring my mother's pleas for me to come down. I can't explain how heavy my heart felt after hearing my father's name called. You see, it's my fault he had to go. 

If I would've been the son they wanted, he would be able to stay home and the son would have a better chance of surviving the war. When I was little, I used to stay up late just to listen to their conversations that I was, supposedly, too young to hear. I remember my mother urging my father to adopt a son, for she could no longer have kids. "Please," she would beg, repeatedly, "You need a son to uphold the family name. A son could also take your place if China ever goes to war." My father always said the same thing, "No." A few weeks later, I asked my father why girls couldn't join the army. He replied simply that they just couldn't. That didn't sit well with me. Was it because we were the weak? Was it because it had never been attempted? Was there something that prevented it? I asked Mushu all of the questions I had and more. I was never satisfied with the answers. 

As my father walked with the scroll in his hand, I started to climb down. I paused when I heard the next name. I watched Mushu's father urged Mushu forward to accept the scroll, which Mushu did. As I leaned forward to get a better look, my hand lost its grip on the branch and I fell. "Ancestors, protect me," I remember whispering. Luckily, I landed in the stream which was overflowing due to the rain we had had the past few days. However I didn't go unscathed. I had just lost the two people I loved the most and there was no way I could stop it. 


End file.
